Chevrolet surprises with the global premiere of the Adra concept crossover

Underscoring the significance of the Auto Expo was Chevrolet’s global premiere of the Adra concept crossover. Based on General Motors’ global small vehicle platform (Gamma 2) which the Beat is based on it has been completely designed by Indian engineers at GM’s technical centre in Bangalore. Let’s all agree the team did a bloody good job of it.

The design is very different from the accepted trend. Gone are the swoopy lines and the Adra sports muscular American styling. The signature bowtie emblem and split grille remain, albeit tweaked, upfront. The Adra has a raised hood, increased ground clearance and accentuated wheelarches — which translate to a more rugged and masculine appeal. The off-roader aura is further enhanced by the thick side cladding. The Adra is likely to get the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.0-litre diesel from the Beat.

The concept measures 4.2 metres in length but the production version will be under four, akin to its competition, the Ford EcoSport. These are still early days for the concept and don’t expect to see the production version before mid-2015, if at all. Going by the EcoSport’s success, the earlier Chevrolet puts it into production, the better.